Gay men kidnapped and tortured in Chechnya, Russia

Donate now to get gays out of Chechnya!

KPH and ILGA-Europe thank all those who have contributed so generously! We believe we are able to cover all forseeable costs. Our donors will receive up-dates on the progress of reallocations and information on how the money is spent.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Since March 2017 authorities in Chechnya (Russian Federation) have vowed to eradicate its gay population in less than 30 days! They have been kidnapping and torturing men suspected of being gay or bisexual. We need to evacuate people out of the region as soon as possible to save their lives. Campaign Against Homophobia (KPH) joins ILGA-Europe to raise money for evacuation and reallocation.

Stories about the kidnappings, secret prisons and tortures appeared in the media on April 1st. At this point we know about more than 100 men who were taken from the streets or their homes and transported to isolated, secret locations. They are being beaten during interrogations and their confessions, phones and emails are used to identify other men who might be gay.

They yelled, 'Who else do you know?' - said Maksim who was electrocuted to talk. The interrogators want the captured men to give them the names of their friends and partners. It was unbearably painful, I was hanging on with my last strength, but I didn't tell them anything.

If beating with their hands and feet is not enough, they use electric shock, said Ruslan.They have a special black box and they attach wires to your hands or ears. The pain is awful. It's terrible torture.

Ruslan was released after the interrogations – the expectation was that his family and neighbors would „take care of him once and for all". Ruslan adds that the aim now is the extermination of gay men, so that there are none left in the republic.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

ILGA-Europe, an umbrella for 500 member organisations in Europe with more than 20 years of experience, pressures national and international decision-makers to change laws and react to atrocities, and mobilizes the movement. It is the most effective and trustworthy channel for saving lives in Chechnya. With its established relationships and security protocols, ILGA-Europe is able to respond effectively to the urgent and diverse situations arising in contexts as difficult as Chechnya in the Russian Federation. ILGA-Europe will manage and administer the funding for evacuation and reallocation costs by transferring it securely to Russia, where receiving funding from foreign entities puts activists at risk.

Campaign Against Homophobia (KPH) is a Polish member organisation of ILGA-Europe. KPH has done groundbreaking work in Poland that lead to great changes in the social perception and acceptance of LGBT people, as well as brought Poland much closer to securing the rights of victims of homophobic and transphobic hate crimes. KPH is working closely with partners in the Eastern region: from Latvia to the Caucasus. Due to its large international presence, KPH is able to aid ILGA-Europe is raising funds needed for the evacuation of gay and bi men from Chechnya.

You can find more information about ILGA-Europe and situation in Chechnya here.